INSIGHTS

DAILY
CURRENT
AFFAIRS + PIB
SUMMARY

27 JULY 2023

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 GS1
Table Of Contents
THE OPIUM WARS
GS Paper 1
• The Opium Wars  2 Syllabus: World History
GS Paper 2/ 3 Context: Amitav Ghosh’s new book “Smoke and Ashes”
• The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill 2021  3 explores the historical significance of opium as a powerful
agent that has shaped and continues to shape the world’s
Content for Mains Enrichment
history.
• UNESCO endorses banning smartphones from • The book focuses on the Opium Wars (1839-42 and
schools  5 1856-60), which were waged by European colonial
powers on China.
• Mangrove Mitra Programme (Odisha)  5
Facts for Prelims (FFP) The Opium Wars:
The wars were a result of Britain’s increasing consumption
• Ancient soil from beneath a mile of ice in Greenland of tea, which led to a trade deficit with China. To address
offers warnings for the future  5 this, the British East India Company promoted the opium
trade, leading to a significant increase in opium production
• Constitution (STs) Order (5th Amendment) Bill  6
in India for export to China.
• No Confidence Motion  6 As opium addiction spread in China, it caused severe so-
• A mechanism that quietly removes unfit cells be- cio-economic crises and weakened the Qing dynasty’s gov-
ernance. The Chinese attempts to crack down on opium
fore  6 smuggling resulted in conflict with the British, leading to
• you’re born  6 two Opium Wars.

Mapping About Opium Wars (1839-42 and 1856-60):

• Israel  7 Aspect First Opium War Second Opium War
(1839-42) (1856-60)
P a r - China vs. British Em- China vs. British Empire
ties In- pire and France
volved
P r i - British exporting opi- Renewed tensions and
m a r y um from India to Chi- hostilities over the opi-
Cause na um trade
Trigger Chinese crackdown on Seizure of a British ship
the opium trade by Chinese officials
M a j o r Battle of Canton Battle of Palikao
Battles
O u t - Treaty of Nanking Treaty of Tientsin (1858)
come (1842) and Treaty of Peking
(1860)
K e y China cedes Hong Legalization of the opi-
P r o v i - Kong to Britain um trade in China
sions Opening of five Chi- China pays indemnity to
nese ports to foreign Britain and France
trade
British citizens gain More ports opened to
extraterritorial rights foreign trade
in China
Reparations to Britain Religious freedom for
for war expenses Christian missionaries in
China

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 Most-favored-nation Diplomatic presence in
status for Britain Beijing (Peking) for for-
eign powers
Impact Weakened Qing Dy- Further erosion of Chi-
nasty, loss of sover- na’s autonomy and terri-
eignty torial losses
Opening of China Continued social and
to increased foreign economic crises in China
influence and its
long-term effects on
Chinese society and
culture
Impacts on India during the 19th century:
• Increased Opium Cultivation: With the success of
the opium trade in China during and after the Opium
Wars, there was a significant rise in opium cultiva-
tion in India.
o This led to the exploitation of Indian farm-
ers and increased dependence on opium
cultivation, often to the detriment of other
crops.
• Economic Repercussions: As opium production
grew, it diverted resources and labour away from
other productive activities. The emphasis on opium
also had adverse effects on India’s trade and led to
a distortion of the Indian economy.
• Social Consequences: The increased cultivation and
trade of opium contributed to the addiction and
widespread use of opium within certain regions of
India, leading to social problems and health issues.
• British Control: As Britain emerged victorious in the
Opium wars, it further solidified British control over
its colonies, including India.
• Shift in British Policies: The revenue generated from
the opium trade played a significant role in financ-
ing British colonial activities in India, including the
maintenance of their military and administrative
apparatus.
Charter Act Regulations:
• Charter Act of 1813: The Act granted a monopoly of
the opium trade to the British East India Company,
allowing the Company to control and regulate the
opium business in India.
• Charter Act of 1833: The Company continued to
maintain its monopoly on the production and sale of
opium in India, particularly for export to China.
• Charter Act of 1853: It did not address the opium
trade directly. The British East India Company still
retained control over opium cultivation and trade
in India during this period.
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Amitav Ghosh’s argument:
Opium played a central role in sustaining colonialism in
Asia, bringing immense profits to colonial powers at the ex-
pense of Indian labour and the well-being of the Chinese
population. The book suggests that opium, with its addictive
properties, has had a profound impact on societies across
classes and continues to shape history.
Mains Links:
Q. 1. At the beginning of the 20th century, Chinese nation-
alism took a more definite shape and centred primarily on
two issues – anti-Manchuism and anti-imperialism which be-
came the primary causes of the revolution. Elucidate. (250
words)
GS Paper 2/ 3
THE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
(AMENDMENT) BILL 2021
Syllabus: Government Policies and Interventions for
Development in various sectors and Issues arising out
of their Design and Implementation/ Environment
and Conservation
Context: The Lok Sabha passed the contentious Biological
Diversity (Amendment) Bill 2021.
Background:
● Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms that
exist on the planet.
● Human activities have created challenges for biodi-
versity such as loss of habitat, and deterioration of
ecological systems, and there have also been con-
cerns around bio-piracy.
○ Bio-piracy involves the unauthorised appro-
priation of biological resources and related
knowledge belonging to indigenous com-
munities.
● A key multilateral treaty to address these concerns
is the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
1992. India became a signatory to CBD in 1994.
○ The CBD recognises sovereign rights over bi-
ological resources.
○ It permits countries to regulate access to
these resources as per their national legis-
lation.
○ It recognises the contributions of local
communities to conservation and sustain-
able use through traditional knowledge.
○ It provides for equitable sharing of benefits
arising from the utilisation of these resourc-
 es with such people. Access to bio- The Biological Di- Changes made by
● In light of India’s commitments under CBD, the Bio- logical resourc- versity Act, 2002 the Bill
logical Diversity Act 2002 was passed by Parliament.
es and associat-
ed knowledge
About the Biological Diversity Act 2002:
● It regulates access to biological resources and as- Approval re- Entities: foreign Entities: changes
sociated traditional knowledge. It specifies distinct quired from individuals, NRIs, the last category to
frameworks for regulating access by foreign and do- NBA (for cer- companies not companies regis-
mestic entities. tain foreign en- registered in India, tered in India which
● It sets up a 3-tier structure for regulation: tities) and companies are “foreign-con-
○ National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the registered in India trolled” companies
national level, and having non-In- as under the Com-
○ State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) at the state dian participation panies Act, 2013
level, and in share capital or
○ Biodiversity Management Committees management
(BMCs) at the local body level. Prior intima- Activities: obtain- Activities: access to
● The Act provides for sharing of benefits (through tion required ing biological re- associated knowl-
monetary compensation, sharing of IPRs or tech-
to SBB (for cer- sources occurring edge for commer-
nology transfer) with conservers of biodiversity and
tain domestic in India for com- cial utilisation will
holders and creators of associated knowledge.
entities) mercial utilisation also require prior
intimation
Salient provi- The Biological Diver- The Biologi- Exemptions: use Exemptions: adds
sions sity Act 2002 cal Diversity by local people exemptions for
(Amendment) and communities codified tradition-
Bill 2021 including growers al knowledge, cul-
Access to bi- Requires prior ap- Amends the clas- and cultivators of tivated medicinal
ological re- proval or intimation sification of en- biodiversity plants and their
sources and to the regulatory au- tities, list of ac- products, AYUSH
associated thority based on the tivities requiring practitioners
knowledge origin of the entity intimation, and
adds exemptions Significance of the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill
Approval for Approval of NBA is re- Approval will be 2021: The Bill seeks to amend the 2002 Act to:
Intellectu- quired before apply- required before ● Simplify compliance requirements for domestic
companies.
al Property ing for IPR involving the grant of IPR
● Encourage the Indian system of medicine and culti-
Rights (IPR) biological resources instead of before
vation of wild medicinal plants,
obtained from India the application
● Facilitate fast-tracking of processes for research, pat-
or sealing of the pat- itself ent application, and transfer of research results,
ent ● Decriminalise offences, and
Benefit shar- NBA is required to SBB will deter- ● Encourage foreign investment in the sector.
ing determine terms of mine benefit
benefit sharing while sharing while Key issues:
granting approvals for granting approv- ● The term codified traditional knowledge has not
various activities als to domestic been defined. A broad interpretation might exempt
entities as per all local traditional knowledge from benefit-sharing
the regulations requirements.
by NBA ● The Bill removes the direct role of local communi-
ties in determining benefit-sharing provisions.
Offences and Offences include fail- The Bill decrim- ● The Bill decriminalises offences under the Act and
Penalties ing to take approval inalises the of- instead provides for a wide range of penalties.
or providing prior in- fences and makes ● The Bill confers discretion to government officials,
timation for various offences punish- as they can hold inquiries and determine penalties.
activities. These of- able with a pen- ● A review of the law was necessary, however, the
fences are punishable alty between one present bill can appear to be limited and selective,
with imprisonment lakh rupees and especially to favour specific bio resources-based in-
of up to five years/ a Rs 50 lakh dustries.
fine/ both

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Way ahead: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (to which
the Bill was referred) recommended that the penalty struc-
ture (should not be too meagre) should be proportionate to
the gains obtained by entities using biological resources.
Content for Mains Enrichment
UNESCO ENDORSES BANNING
SMARTPHONES FROM SCHOOLS
Context: UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report
2023 warns against the uncritical adoption of digital tech-
nology in educational settings, as there is little robust evi-
dence of its added value in education.
Negative impact of mobile devices on children’s learning:
Negative Impact Examples
Distraction Students get distracted during lectures
or study time due to notifications from
social media apps.
Reduced Atten- Children find it difficult to focus on a
tion Span single task for an extended period due
to constant multitasking on devices.
Decreased Read- Children spend more time on mobile
ing Habit games and videos than reading books
or educational material.
Impaired Sleep Excessive use of mobile devices before
bedtime leads to sleep disturbances
and reduced sleep duration.
Cyberbullying Children experiencing cyberbullying
through social media platforms, lead
to emotional distress and impact their
learning.
Reduced Face-to- Overreliance on virtual communica-
Face Interaction tion leads to decreased social skills
and communication abilities.
Lack of Physical Spending excessive time on mobile
Activity devices leads to a sedentary lifestyle,
affecting overall health and academic
performance.
Inaccurate Infor- Children may come across misleading
mation or false information online, impacting
their understanding and knowledge.
Privacy Concerns Sharing personal information on social
media or other platforms without un-
derstanding the potential risks to pri-
vacy.
Addiction Developing addictive behaviour to-
wards mobile devices leads to with-
drawal symptoms when not using
them.
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Recommendations:
• The report endorses banning smartphones in
schools when technology integration does not im-
prove learning or worsens student well-being.
• Excessive screen time has been linked to poorer
well-being, less curiosity, self-control, emotional
stability, and higher anxiety and depression diagno-
ses in children.
• Advocates for data privacy laws to protect children’s
information
Use: The issues and recommendations can be used in ques-
tion-related to education/learning at school/Screen addic-
tion among children.
MANGROVE MITRA PRO-
GRAMME (ODISHA)
Context: At least 25 families in Odisha’s Kendrapara district
have donated over 25 acres of their land near Bhitarkani-
ka National Park (BNP) for mangrove plantation under the
Mangrove Mitra Programme. The park has 82 mangrove
species, but the expansion of aquaculture and agriculture
has degraded the mangrove habitats in the region.
The land donation is aimed at regenerating mangrove for-
ests during the monsoon season. The Bhitarkanika man-
grove ecosystem is India’s second-largest, but it has suffered
losses due to deforestation caused by resettlement and hu-
man activities. Activists emphasize that mangrove forests of-
fer the best insurance against such natural calamities.
The 2021 Forest Survey of India report said the mangrove
forest cover in the country increased by 17 square km
over the previous two years.
Use: The initiative shows the values of Environmental stew-
ardship and conservation, Community solidarity and collab-
oration, and Recognition of the importance of natural eco-
systems for protection against calamities.
Facts for Prelims (FFP)
ANCIENT SOIL FROM BENEATH
A MILE OF ICE IN GREENLAND
OFFERS WARNINGS FOR THE FU-
TURE
Context: Approximately 400,000 years ago, large parts of
Greenland were ice-free, and evidence suggests it was cov-
ered in spruce trees and scrubby tundra.
• Scientists have now determined the precise date of
 this ice-free period to be around 416,000 years ago,
lasting for about 14,000 years.
• Researchers extracted frozen soil from beneath the
Greenland ice sheet, collected during the Cold War
from Camp Century, a unique nuclear-powered
base dug into the ice sheet.
The findings have implications for our understanding of cli-
mate change and the consequences of rising carbon diox-
ide levels. During the interglacial period similar to today’s
conditions, CO2 levels were much lower, yet they triggered
enough warming to melt a significant portion of Green-
land’s ice.
To prevent a future of largely ice-free Greenland, it is crucial
to take immediate and significant action to reduce carbon
emissions and sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
CONSTITUTION (STS) ORDER (5TH
AMENDMENT) BILL
Context: The Parliament has passed the Constitution (Sched-
uled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment)
Bill, 2022, with the Rajya Sabha giving its approval after the
Lok Sabha had already passed the Bill.
The purpose of the Bill is to amend the Constitution (Sched-
uled Tribes) Order of 1950. It aims to make several changes:
• Inclusion of Communities: The Bill includes the Dha-
nuhar, Dhanuwar, Kisan, Saunra, Saonra, and Bin-
jhia communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in
Chhattisgarh.
• Synonyms Inclusion: The Bill adds Bhuinya, Bhui-
yan, and Bhuyan communities as synonyms for the
Bharia Bhumia community.
• Devanagari Versions: Three Devanagari versions of
the name of the Pando community are also includ-
ed.
NO CONFIDENCE MOTION
Context: The current No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against
the Indian government was brought by the opposition to de-
mand a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
the situation in Manipur. However, given the government’s
significant majority in the Lok Sabha, the motion is unlikely
to succeed.
About Description
NCM
What is A No Confidence Motion is a parliamenta-
NCM? ry procedure used to test the government’s
support and majority in the legislature. In In-
dia, it is introduced in the Lok Sabha, and if ac-
cepted, it leads to a discussion on the govern-
ment’s performance. If the motion is passed,
the government must resign from office.
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Floor Test The government can retain power by demon-
strating its strength through a floor test.
Principle According to Article 75 of the Constitution
of Collec- (and Article 164 for states), the council of min-
tive Re- isters is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.
sponsibil- The ministry remains in office as long as the
ity majority of Lok Sabha members trust it. Lok
Sabha Rule 198 specifies the procedure for a
motion of no-confidence.
P r o c e - The member must submit a written notice
dure for before 10 AM, supported by at least 50 mem-
M o v i n g bers. The Speaker sets a date for discussion
Motion within 10 days.
Examples 27 no-confidence motions have been intro-
duced in Lok Sabha since independence.
D i f f e r - The no-confidence motion seeks to ascer-
ence from tain the confidence of the Lok Sabha in the
C e n s u r e Council of Ministers, while a censure motion
Motion censures specific policies and actions of the
Council of Ministers.
If a no-confidence motion is passed, the coun-
cil of ministers must resign, while a censure
motion does not require resignation.
S i g n i f i - The no-confidence motion is a crucial legis-
cance lative tool used to hold the government ac-
countable, although it is rare for the oppo-
sition to defeat the ruling party with greater
numbers.
A MECHANISM THAT QUIETLY RE-
MOVES UNFIT CELLS BEFORE
YOU’RE BORN
Context: Research on the early stages of human embryonic
development and the role of specific cells known as the in-
ner cell mass has gained importance recently.
• The inner cell mass contains pluripotent cells, mean-
ing they have the potential to differentiate into all
the different cell types that make up the human
body. These cells are of great interest to scientists as
they are responsible for shaping the entire human
body.
• In a study conducted in 2016, researchers discov-
ered a subset of non-committed cells within the
inner cell mass. Unlike the majority of cells in the
inner cell mass that go on to contribute to the devel-
oping embryo, these non-committed cells seem to
die off early in the development process.
• Further investigation revealed that the non-com-
mitted cells lack the expression of a gene called
HERVH, which is critical for maintaining pluripoten-
cy in human embryonic stem cells.
• Instead, these cells express transposons, also
 known as “jumping genes,” which can insert themselves into different parts of the genome, potentially causing
DNA damage and leading to cell death.

HERVH, despite being a type of transposon itself, appears to protect the pluripotent cells from the harmful effects of other
transposons. By the end of this early developmental stage, the cells that express HERVH survive and become the “good”
cells that will form the embryo, while the non-committed cells that lack HERVH expression die through cell death.
The study refers to the early human embryo as a “selection arena,” where cells compete to survive based on their gene
expression patterns.

Mapping

ISRAEL
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has succeeded in pushing through a judicial reform bill that curtails the judi-
ciary’s power to check his far-right coalition government. The victory, however, has deepened divisions in Israeli society.
Critics fear that the reform may lead to a religious autocracy, erode democracy, and pose risks to Israel’s alliance with the
United States.

Israel, a Middle Eastern country on the Mediterranean Sea, is regarded by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the biblical Holy
Land. Its most sacred sites are in Jerusalem.

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